I'm deleting this
by Just Monika. No one else
Summary: Every year, a gay and lesbian is chosen from each district to participate in The Hunger Games, an event where kids from the ages of twelve and eighteen must fight to the death. ( This was rather embarrassing. Don't expect this to be around much longer.)
1. The Dream

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

_I lift my brown, mud-covered backpack over my head to shield myself as bullet-fast drops of rain pound the ground. My head is whipping from side to side, searching for tributes that might be pursuing me. It was so cold, if it weren't for the extra wool in the jackets, I would be hearing at least six cannon shots. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain as something cold opens a long gash on my back. I whirl around, my dagger raised, expecting to find someone hacking away at me. Instead, a heavy icicle hits the ground, creating a huge crack in the hard-packed dirt. Seconds later, I hear the thudding sound again, and the spikes are widening the fissure, opening a Jupiter-sized crater in the ground._

I gasp as I spring from my mattress. Usually I have nightmares of my family starving to death, of my town being blown up with those nuclear bombs they make in the Capitol. But this is far worse. Today the tributes will be reaped.

I turn. My sister Prim is huddled in the woolly, ash-covered sheet we call a blanket. Her eyes are wide with alarm, and she's whimpering something. "I'm scared…"

She's not my biological sister, of course. All of us were born from the Capitol, from different families. The doctors there run a test on the newborns. If the scanner identifies you as heterosexual, you get to stay and live a life of ease. If you are homosexual,you are shipped to one of the districts, where you become poor and will likely die from hunger early in your life. **Author's Note- Just to clarify, asexuals live in the Capitol. All other sexualities lead to life in the districts.**

When I was a child, I would complain about how the system isn't fair, how the Capitol was a bunch of homophobic savaged. My mothers eventually decided to lecture me on the dangers of saying such things, that our rulers would easily destroy us if we protested. After that, I learned to shut up.

"How do you put up with this, Katniss?" Prim asks, and I can see tears dripping down her pale, hollow face.

"I have to," I whisper back."but it's not easy. You'll be fine, Prim, trust me. You only have one entry. You won't be chosen." I gently play with her messy blonde hair, and this soothes her.

She's talking about the Hunger Games. After the war between the states and the Westboro Baptist Church, the latter defeated us and divided us into twelve districts. They wiped off everyone in Canada and Mexico, who allied with us in the war, and chose Canada as their country. They named it the Capitol, and shipped all the heterosexuals there to live a life of luxury with them. As punishment for being gay, they created the Hunger Games, where a gay and lesbian from each district between the ages of twelve and eighteen are forced into an arena, where they murder each other for the Capitol's pleasure until one remains.

I hear a knock at the door. I jump out of bed and walk over to the creaking rectangle of dead wood. I push it open and find a dark-haired teenager grinning at me, two cotton bags slung over his broad shoulders.


	2. The Captive

**Disclaimer-I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

_As Gale and I reach the Meadow, we dive into a shrub and listen carefully. Only the chatter of coal miners and wails of starving children can be heard. No one is watching us. As we slither through a small crack in the fence separating District 12 from the woods, I retrieve our weapons from a hollow, bare oak tree-two bows and quivers filled with wood arrows with stone tips, three knives, and wires. We move further into the wilderness and what I see fills me with disbelief. A herd of deer the size of Gale's burlap sacks are grazing in the valley. That much game could keep both our families rich for at least a year. We might not even have to sign up for tesserae next year. Hell, we could move to the merchant class!_

_I barely finish loading my bow when a red headed girl leaps from a nearby tree. Her coffee brown eyes are wide with alarm as she scrambles to the fence. Then I notice the buzzing._

_"HOLY SH*T!" I cry. Flying above us is a grey hovercraft. Its wings are spinning furiously, slowly lowering itself. An iron trapdoor swings open, and a ladder rolls down. Gale pushes us behind a rock._

_The red-haired girl looks at me. Her brown jacket is in tatters, and I can faintly see the number 5 on it. She yells something to me. It is inaudible over the buzzing of the hovercraft, but I know what she's saying. Help me. Please._

_Suddenly, a brown-haired boy bursts out of a blackberry bush. "Lavinia!" he yells. "LAVINI-"_

_The guy in the hovercraft presses a button, and a flock of silver birds emerge from a small door. They circle the boy then viciously dive at him, viciously puncturing his skin. Soon, he is nothing but raw flesh and blood. **Author's Note- I know he was killed by a spear. I'm changing things up a bit so that it's not too much like the original book. **Several ropes wrap around the girl's waist and force her onto the ladder. It rises into the vehicle and she's pounding the glass, screaming for the boy._

_"Stupid f*gs, am I right?" the man in the hovercraft says to a device—walkie-talkies, I think they're called—and grins with bloodlust._

_"Damn right you are," a voice replies, crackling from the static._

_As the man flies away, Gale and I carefully crawl back to the fence._

I shudder as I recall the memory. Who were those kids? And what were they trying to do? From what the man said, they were probably from another district. But still...

Gale shakes my shoulders, jerking me back to the present. "What are you thinking about?" he asks. "We only have an hour left to hunt."

I nod, dazed, as I tread into the wilderness.


	3. Madge

**Disclaimer-I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

"Half-straight."

"Fauxbian."

"Switch hitter."

This isn't the first time I've heard these words whispered about me. When I was born, as usual, the Capitol doctors took some of my blood through a plastic tube into a cylinder. They poured it into the scanner, and its green lights flickered. In the hospital room was a screen with a scale from blue to red, with blue meaning straight and red meaning gay. A white box appeared on the TV. The box was expected to flash red or blue in a few seconds. What the doctors saw startled them. The square turned a deep shade of purple. The results had overlapped.

The doctors explained to the startled mother that I was both, that I turned out to be a bisexual. Such a result is so uncommon, our schools hadn't bothered to teach us about it.

In the districts, being bisexual is looked down upon. To them, bisexuals have the same opinions as the Capitol, that being completely homosexual is wrong and unnatural.

"She's the reason everyone else hates District 12."

"I hope she gets reaped, I can't bear to see her ugly a* face anymore."

"Katniss!"

I turn and see a sixteen year old girl running towards me. Her soft, blonde hair was down and flowing down her shoulders instead of tied up like usual. Instead of rags, she wore a white dress that reached to her ankles. The girl was beaming, whereas on other days people would regard her as a depressed piano nerd. **Author's Note- I'm sorry if she sounds like Glimmer. Trust me, she's not. She has no intention of being a inhuman, bloodlusted pschycopath.**

"Hey, Madge." I say cheerfully, which is quite unusual for me, as I, too, have no friends at this school. All I have is Gale, and he graduated.

"Sh*t, am I the only one who dressed up?" Madge asks. I look around. **Author's Note- Please do not read on if you do not wish to see stereotypes about gay people. **All the boys were in their raggedy drag queen outfits, and the girls had on flannel shirts. **Author's Note- I warned you. **As Madge flustered, I couldn't help but think about how cute she looked with her cheeks all red like that. _Stop, Katniss_, I think, pushing away the thought. _In a few hours, she might be chosen for almost certain death._

Suddenly, the bell rings. **Author's Note- It was p.m. homeroom.**

"See you at the reaping, Madge," I say, and head for the exit.

"You too, Katniss," Madge responds. Then she hesitates before adding,"Good luck." She skips to the exit, her hair bouncing against her back.


	4. The Reaping

**Disclaimer-I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

Prim starts shaking as soon as we leave our pea-sized cottage. "Don't worry, Prim," I reassure her."You'll be safe." Still, she keeps looking back, as if it will be the last time she will see our house.

As we arrive at the town square, I turn to Prim. "Go join the others. I'll meet you in an hour, okay?" She nods and hurries off while I walk to the marching sixteen year olds.

The valid tributes fill the square as Evan Trinket, District 12's escort, enters the stage. **Author's Note- Yes, I genderbent Effie Trinket. Deal with it. **Being from the richest country in the world, you'd expect him to be in some flashy outfit. But they've been considered "gay-like" ever since the war, so he is dressed in a tuxedo and black trousers.Standing on each side of her are two Peacekeepers, guards with white armor and rifles. Sitting on the stage are the mayor, one of Madge's fathers, and Haymitch. Haymitch is the only living victor from District 12. I can also see he's drunk as usual. He gulps down a glass of red wine, stands up and winks at Evan before hugging her, making them both crash into the stage. Evan grunts in annoyance and stands to the microphone.

"Welcome, District 12!" He exclaims,"it's such a pleasure to have you all here!"

He's lying, of course. District 12 is the most ridiculed district in Panem. Everyone knows he hates being the laughingstock of the escorts. And we know that behind that smile, he shaking his head, thinking, _What a bunch of gay f*gg*ts._

_"_Now, before we begin," he continues,"the mayor has something to say." The mayor, a lanky, bald man with gold-rimmed spectacles, fishes a scroll from the pocket of his beige leather jacket and reads.

He rambles on about the history of the USA, know known as Panem, and the purposes of the Hunger Games. After about ten minutes, he steps back, letting Evan take the microphone.

"As usual, lesbians first." Evan stomps to the reaping ball for the girls and hovers his fingers over it. After an intense minute of waiting, he finally snatches a slip from the bowl. When he walks back to the center of the stage, I could almost hear everyone's hearts thumping has the escort unfolds the paper and reads the name of the ill-fated tribute.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

Her back is facing me, but I can imagine Prim's shock as she scrambles to the stage. Suddenly, I shove my way through the crowd, running faster than I ever had, even in the school races. When I get to Prim, I push her to the side.

"I volunteer as tribute!"


	5. The Tributes

**Disclaimer-I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

"Katniss!" Prim lunges for me as two Peacekeepers lead me to the stage, holding her off.

"It'll be okay, Prim," I say with a slight quiver in my voice. "I promise." It's all I can do to hold back my tears, remembering that this is being live-streamed in the Capitol. Crying won't help me in the arena, when they bet on the tributes they believe will win.

"You can't go!" she cries, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please!"

"I'm sorry, Prim." The Peacekeepers throw me onto the stage with Evan, who helps me up. He holds the microphone to me. "What's your name?" he asks. Everyone is listening closely. District 12 has never had a volunteer before. No one can beat the thought of having to go to battle with 23 other gays and lesbians, people who are just like them, hating everything the Capitol has done.

"K-Katniss Everd-deen." I manage to stammer.

"That must be your sister, correct?" exclaims Evan. "Well, let's have a hand for our lesbian tribute from District 12."

There's silence. Then, everyone holds out their middle fingers. It's aimed toward the Capitol, at their bigotry, at the Hunger Games.

The Peacekeepers attack at once. I whince at the firing of their guns as they run at the citizens. The first person that did it, a boy from my class named Edward, tries to run. A bullet hits his neck, and a pool of blood collects around his head as he hits the ground. After the chaos subsides, Evan hastily grabs a slip from the boys' bowl and shouts,"Peeta Mellark!"

**Peeta POV**

Holy sh*t, why me? Everyone around me is gawking with disbelief. Usually, the tributes reaped are from the Seam, where the most tesserae is taken. In rare occasions will someone from the merchant class be chosen.I turn back to the stage. Evan is motioning me to come forward. Finally, the Peacekeepers grab me by the arms and lead me to him. I look at the girl. _Katniss Everdeen_. Where have I heard that name before? Oh, right... she's the other bisexual.


	6. The Visitors

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

**Peeta POV**

_"Place the cakes in the pantry, Peeta," my father ordered, hacking away at a slab of dough._

_I had barely placed my hand on the desserts when he whooped, "There she is!" _

_I looked out the window. Heading towards us was a girl who was obviously from the Seam. She was holding a stack of some brown meat. _

_"Thank you, Katniss," my father said, handing her a bag of rolls. _

_Suddenly, my aunt barged in, waving her cane. "SO THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN I'M NOT AROUND, IS THAT RIGHT?" She smacked Dad, leaving an angry red mark on his face. _

_Then she turned on the girl. "Get the f*ck out of our house, you good for nothing bisexual!"_

I can see the surprise in her eyes as she stares at me. I can tell she remembers that day.

"Well," Evan cheerfully shouts," here are your tributes from District 12. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!"

With that, the Peacekeepers shove us into the Justice Building.

**Katniss POV**

The first to appear is Prim. She starts sobbing, throwing her arms around me. "What the f*ck were you thinking?" she wails, leaving tears on my plaid skirt.

"I'll do my best, Prim." I reassure her. "I'll try to win."

Madge is next. She places something on my palm.

It's a locket. I open it and gasp.

The locket is filled with pictures of me, her and my family. "How did you get these?" I ask.

"I talked to your moms." She blushes, and tucks a lock of her luscious blonde hair behind her ear. "I was going to give it to you in your birthday, but-"

"Thank you, Madge." I say, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I- "

Suddenly, she grabs me by my dress collar and kisses me. **Author's Note- I'm sorry Peeniss shippers...**

After what seemed like an hour, she finally let's go. Her cheeks are still flustered. "Good bye, Katniss."

Despite the danger I'll be in in a week, I start giggling, running my hands over the locket.


	7. Training

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne **Collins.

** —————Two Days Later—————-**

**Rue POV**

As I enter the training center, some Capitol guy pins a sheet of paper on my back. As Thresh and I join the circle of tributes, I size them up. Every one of them must be at least three feet taller than me. Compared to everyone else, I'm about the size of an groosling. The only other tribute one would consider small is a girl of about sixteen. Her hair is done in an elegant braid. Her warm brown eyes and olive skin mark her as a girl of what our school back in District 11 calls the Seam. Katniss, I think her name is.

She's kind of cute.

When Atala releases us, I immediately head for the edible plants test. As I finish the last question, I notice Katniss and her district partner have joined me. Katniss is enjoying this station, answering each question flawlessly. The boy is getting everything wrong, even mistaking raspberries for hemlock, as she giggles.

As I enter the slingshot station, I select a sharp rock. I've barely released it before a voice says, "I think we have a shadow." I turn to the boy from 12, confused, until I realize he means me. Racist.

I'm deeply offended. I almost shoot another rock at him when Katniss joins me and sits on the linoleum with me.

"Don't worry about him, Rue," she says, putting an arm around me. "Peeta can be an a*hole sometimes."

She remembers my name! I am tempted to start flirting with her when I remind myself that we are tributes. We might end up tear each other apart. Of course, she would take the upper hand. Why do I have to be so f*cking small?

**Katniss POV**

As we walk to the climbing station, I notice Rue staring at me. Her warm brown eyes are so large, it's impossible not to think of a puppy. _Stop, Katniss_, I think. _She's literally four years younger than you_. My mind flashes to Madge's kiss, and I feel an unusual feeling of guilt. Then I focus back on Rue. In a matter of seconds, she's about ten feet above me, leaping from wall to wall without making the slightest sound. Meanwhile, I keep my banging my head on metal bars and falling onto the soft-cushioned mat.

Rue laughs. "Don't worry, Katniss," she says. "It's not easy. I've spent my entire life working in the orchards." I smile, and look behind me. Peeta is staring at me, a look of hurt on his face.

**Author's Note- Tell me in the reviews whether you ship Peeniss, Rueniss, or Kadge.**


	8. The Games

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

**——————Five Days Later——————**

As I step onto the platform, a glass cylinder slowly lowers around it. It begins to move upward, taking me with it. Soon, I reach the surface.

We are standing in a grassy meadow full of bushes of berries that are too far away for me to identify. A lake shimmers about 500 feet from me. The tributes and I are standing on a ring of iron circles, facing a giant silver horn. ** Author's Note- I know it's gold in the book.**The horn is filled with valuable supplies, from stacks of ham to swords so sharp even the slightest whack could send a tree crashing to the ground. Seven yards in front of me is a rainbow backpack containing something in the shape of a cube. Besides the horn rests a bow and sheath if arrows.

Suddenly, I feel something hard smack my arm. Cato, the boy from 2, is holding two balls in his arms. They must have been his district tokens. Startled, I fall. _Sh*t, _I think. If you step off your platform before the Game begins, the Gamemakers blow you up for cheating. I clench my jaw, expecting blistering heat, but only feel the cool, damp grass. The Gamemakers must have gotten used to the tributes not moving before the gong. Excitedly, I run to the archery set, putting as much distance between myself and the tributes as I can.

It isn't long before I hear a cry of excitement, then shrieks of pain as a blast sends a few drops of blood past me. I turn, my bow loaded. Some idiot, the girl from 8 I think, had decided to run after me, just after the Gamemakers had activated the land mines. There's a cannon shot, and I know I'll be seeing her face in the sky in a couple of hours. When they show the rest of us the tributes that have fallen. I reconsider that, however, when I look at her platform.

The blast has opened a crater where her circle had been. My heart racing, I lunge for a mat and jump down the hole. When the gong rings, everyone rushes to me and starts fighting over who gets to leave first. Marvel is pushing his way through the remaining tributes when a large group of creatures materialize in the hole, and some claw their way out. Each of them have tails with knives implanted in them and sacs of green venom dripping in their mouths. One lashes at Marvel, and he staggered back, a foot-wide cut down his chest. His cheeks puff up and explode into bits of flesh and blood. Meanwhile, six of the serpents snark at me. They slither towards me, leaving a trial of bubbling green acid.


	9. The Escape

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

I can hear snarls coming from the arena, followed by agonizing shrieks. Panic rushing through me, I prepare my bow and race out of the Launch Room. It isn't long before I hear a chorus of hisses, and a green and slimy tail wraps around my left leg. I shake it off, and leap out the exit before sending an arrow into the snake's tongue. It crumbles to green dust, and it is followed by more mutts.

I scramble up the stairs, leaving the mutts snarling in anger. Desperately, I yank a blue door and look for a place to hide. Suddenly, I hear seven cannon shots. Wait, I'm not in the arena. There's no way I could've heard the cannon. Unless...

I turn, and see the Gamemakers standing over a blue screen, their faces red with rage. One of reaches into a black satchel and pulls out a rifle.

**Author's Note- I'm sorry, this was a short chapter.**

**I don't think this story even focuses on the Capitol being homophobic anymore. It just feels like an alternative ending to The Hunger Games.**

**Well, I'll see you next chapter. Bye :)**


	10. Foxface

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

The man with the rifle points it at my chest. As he fires, I roll back, dodging the bullet, and send an arrow flying into his right leg, Groaning and cursing rapidly, he clutches his leg and falls. As soon as he is unconscious, the rest of the Gamemakers charge at me.

Instinctively, I do what I do best — I shoot. But as soon as the first arrow pierces another one, a Gamemaker presses a strange black device to me, and I feel a strange sensation throughout my body, as if my blood flow has been reversed. This forces me to stop. Small hints of electric blue are running through my skin, increasing gradually as the sensation continues. Suddenly, I don't feel anything at all. My skin feels as if it has melted, then evaporated into steam. My body has become a 3D, human-sized grid, and my brain seems to liquidate as I fade out of sight.

**Foxface POV ( District 5 Female )**

Light, fragile branches snap behind me as I leap frantically through the thick maze of trees. Blinding green lights block my vision, and occasionally I trip and desperately scramble back up, not daring to take a moment to catch my breath. The only thing left to guide me is my increasing panic.

Back in District Five, I had a deathly fear of wires. My dads would always laugh and reassure me nothing would happen, that there was no way they could somehow shock me full of electricity and fry me. This didn't help, though. I never dared to go into the factories, where millions of them hung by cables suspended from the walls. When the snakes entered the area, I couldn't help but only see green wires, ones that spit poison and bared steel-sharp fangs.

My sister, Lavinia, also teased me about it, until... _No,_ _Finch, _I tell myself. _Don't let this stop you. Keep running. _I obey my own orders but as I continue to hop through the branches, I can't help but remember that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"_Don't go, Lavinia!" I begged. My eyes brimmed with tears as I desperately pulled her arm. "They'll kill you!"_

_ She shook her head sadly and grabbed her coat. Slinging her satchel over her shoulder, she stopped, and hugged me. I held on to her tightly, not wanting to let go. _

_Lavinia suddenly pulled away and opened the door. "I'll come back. I promise." She looked as if she wanted to break down into tears, but controlled herself. "I might find Thirteen. Then we can defeat the Capitol." I thought the attempt was futile. The Capitol had told everyone District Thirteen was destroyed after the rebellion. She would most likely come back with her throat slit, President Snow holding her like a war trophy. But a part of me believed she could make it. She had spent three years formulating a plan. All that couldn't have been for nothing. With tears in my eyes, I watched as she ran down the street, heading towards the border. _

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A week later, we recieved a letter from the Capitol informing us that Lavinia had been captured and turned into an Avox. The other boy, her friend, was brutally murdered. She only made it to District Twelve. As a punishment for her escape, my fathers were executed. The Peacemakers sawed off their heads and threw them into the machinery of their workplace, all while forcing the entire district to watch. The memory of them pleading with the Peacemakers and the excruciating howls that came after haunted me every night, until the day I was reaped. As the escort called my named, I stumbled onto the platform. There was no applause. Everyone was thinking of my sister's attempted escape. Then I saw her. Standing at the corner, watching ruefully from the chairs, was her. She looked the same as I remembered , with her sleek red hair and her flawless complexion. Now, her mouth was hanging open, and where there should've been a tongue was a bloody, pink stump. We exchanged glances and she quickly looks away. Now she knows. No one in our family will be left after the two weeks that will follow.

I sit in the trees, too busy thinking, when I slowly begin to realize where I am. I scramble to get up the trees, climbing desperately through the branches, when a blue light flashes in front of me. Startled, I lose my grip, tumbling down the trees. So does the light, which has materialized into a girl of about sixteen. Her olive skin and dark brown braid make it clear to me who she is. Katniss Everdeen. The girl with the eleven. Oh, well. There's no use fighting now.

The fall seems to last forever. We cling on to each other, looking away out of nature because, after all, we're tributes. As we fall past blurs if brown, green and yellow, Katniss suddenly lets go of me. Her foot swings to the left, positioning it at my chest. Unfortunately, I realize what she is trying to do a second too late. Her hands are now gripped around my waist,preventing me from moving. I struggle, although it is futile, as we plummet towards the ground. Only then do I look at her.

Katniss's eyes are wild with fright. Her braid is undone, due to the endless branches poking through it. A few twigs are lodged in her jacket. Her expression seems remorseful, as if she is regretting doing this to me. At that moment, we both crash into the hard-packed dirt.

**Katniss POV**

Foxface's chest splits as my foot lodges into it. A bright red line of blood leaks from the wound, and is absorbed into the soil. She is still alive though. After a few seconds, the cannon sounds. I rip her brown bag from her shoulders and, swinging it on my shoulder, disappear from the scene.

My sight is still fuzzy from the teleportation. I decide a few minutes of rest will help me. Choosing a nearby tree, I collaspe in the way, overcome with fatigue. That was my mistake. The sound of feet startled me, and I scramble back up and turn. All six Careers are running towards me. One boy, I think from One, raises his spear.


	11. Careers

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

The boy- who I believe is Marvel- throws his spear. It lodges into the tree trunk, pinning my backpack to it. Another, one with luscious blonde hair like Madge's, holds out her hand. Cato reaches into his belt and retrieves a dagger, which she catches. She grins maliciously and charges at me. Panicking, I pull the spear out and hold it at the Careers, who are surrounding me and closing in for the kill. Just as the blonde girl lunges at me, I duck and rip the knife out her hands, bringing it up to her eyes. She blindly swipes at me, and I climb on her, pushing her down with my weight.

Now all of the Careers are watching us. Based on their arrogant smirks, they believe their ally can win. Usually one of them does. They are the tributes who train beforehand, who know more murder tactics than the average serial killer. All of them have volunteered, confident that they will make it out alive, covered in mounds of riches and food, sure that they will hold the honor of the victor of the 74th Hunger Games. And usually, they are correct. Over the past decades, about eighty-five percent of the victors have been from Districts One, Two, and Four- the wealthiest and most privileged districts in Panem. In Twelve, they are seen as savages- uncivilized teenagers who prowl the area, searching for tributes and murdering them in extremely brutal ways. They are children who you cannot trust, who will rip you to shreds once they form an alliance with you.

Now, as they sit in amusement, they will know in a few seconds that they are wrong. As the girl collapses, I raise Marvel's spear and plunge it into her back. She lets out a howl as it impales her, and soon a cannon sounds.

One Career is dead now. They are now five to defeat.

The rest of tributes stand and raise their weapons. Marvel pulls another spear from his bag and aims it. Cato unsheathes his sword and wipes it with a dirty rag. Clove reaches into her jacket and selects six knives, each with a wooden handle and a flat, spade-shaped blade, capable of decapitating a person with simply one strike. The remaining two draw sickles from their muddy, sun-dried clothes. It is clear that all of them have the same intentions- to kill me and lose one more problem in their journey to survival.

As I scan the tributes, I think, _You're going to die now, Katniss. There is no chance of survival. They will kill you, and you will just be among the twenty-three fallen in this year's fight to the death._

As Clove throws her knife, it spins, heading straight for my heart. I do the logical thing- duck. The blade instead flies into Marvel's chest, There isn't much blood, but he immediately falls backwards, clutching his torso.

Clove stands there in shock, and she drops her knives, stunned by her ally's death. The rest of the tributes, however, are not as distracted. The male from Four raises his sickle and throws it, the blade forming a deadly, spinning circle of metal headed at my forehead. I raise my bow in defense, and the sickle bounces off harmlessly. It stabs the ground and remains lodged there. As the guy bends over to pick it up, I reach up for an arrow, position it on my bow, and pull back the elastic string. As soon as he rises, I release it, and the arrow flies into his right arm. As he writhes with pain on the ground, I can tell my shot was not fatal. But it was enough to stop him.

I turn and run, nocking another arrow. Having spent almost six years of practice fleeing from bears, tracker jacker nests, and other dangers in the woods, I guess I could say I'm a fast runner. I make it ten yards when I hear footsteps coming after me. Panicking, I pick up my speed, sprinting towards a vast maze of trees. As I head into the forest, I can hear their distant voices, complaining and groaning to the male from Four, obviously because of my escape. I continue to run, not stopping until I have reached the other side of the forest. Then I look at the sky.

I've been so busy fighting and fleeing that I hadn't noticed how much time has past. The forever-stretching sheet of black is dotted with millions of white constellations. I can see the moon clearly, a milky white orb with a slight shadow on its right. Somewhere to my left, a minuscule figure, probably an owl, takes off from a tree, flapping its wings as it soars into the sky. I wish I was that owl. How easy would it be, to flap my arms like its wings, and just escape all my troubles? I had a book about birds back home. Besides my textbooks from school, it was the only one I owned in my life in District Twelve. My mothers would read it to me when I was a child. They would point to the skies, which were usually bare as winter trees. When the occasional hummingbird or mockingjay flew by, I would point excitedly and laugh.

All of that is gone now. One of my mothers is dead- burned at the stake for selling bows. The other- devastated at her wife's death, refusing to speak to anyone but herself and the photos she had kept of her spouse. The book is tucked away in some shelf, probably covered with accumulating particles of dust. As for me? I'm trapped in this arena, alone, scared of death, fighting to stay alive. Whatever sense of home I had felt in my life as flown away, like that owl.

I sit in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, I see a blue rectangle in the sky. The Capitol's seal is shown in it. My eyes are drawn to the screen instantaneously. The Gamemakers are about to show the faces of the fallen.

First to show up is the face of the girl from One. The girl I had stabbed just today. Next is Marvel. Their photos are the ones taken at their interviews. Two Careers dead. Usually, this does not happen. Not so early into the Games. The Careers are the ones who kill, not the ones who are killed.

I silently begin to count as the dead are revealed in the sky. Both Ones. Three. Five. Six. Both Sevens. One Eight, the one that had stepped of her plate. Nine. Ten. The Capitol seal is shown once again, and the sky once again is a black sheet of space.

There are still fourteen tributes left. Each of them have one goal- to kill the rest and emerge from the arena as the victor of the 74th Hunger Games.

I hope that tribute is me.


	12. Prim's Capture

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

I lie in the grass for a while, distracted by my thoughts. Thinking of my odds of winning.

I suppose I do have a chance. I'm fast. I've won every track race at school every year. There's obviously the advantage of getting food. I've spent years trekking through the woods, shooting squirrels and studying berries closely, determining whether or not they are safe to eat. I can take down any prey from seventy miles and still manage to pierce it through the eye. I can scale trees with even the slightest effort, without stumbling.

But it might not be enough. There are other tributes in the arena- tribute that have trained all their lives. That can snap your neck with a simple twist. Tributes who weigh far more than me.

But I cannot give up. I think of Prim, her teary eyes when I had volunteered at the reaping to take her place. I have to stay alive. I have to win for her. for our district.

I remain on the ground, staring at the sky, when the sound of rustling leaves bring me back to my full conscience. it is nighttime. I need to sleep. I can't risk any crankiness tomorrow morning. not when fourteen other tributes will be trying to kill each other again, calling for each other's blood.

I stand. Choosing a tall tree, I scale it, my hands gripping the thick, firm branches. I don't stop climbing until I see a maze of branches above me, sprouting enough twigs and leaves to conceal me from the others. Climbing into the branches, I set my backpack over me and, ensuring that I will not fall off, try to drift to sleep.

At first, it is difficult. How matter how hard i try to lose consciousness, my mind snaps back to the reaping, haunting my brain with the memories of Prim sobbing, of me volunteering and sentencing myself to almost certain death. But eventually, my eyelids grow heavy, and soon, everything is dark. For once in several hours, I finally have the chance to rest.

**Prim POV**

"Mom, come on. You need to get out."

I gently shake my mother's shoulders as I notice a ray of sun flooding into our window. Despite my attempts, she still hasn't got up. Finally, I grab her legs and force her out of her mattress, pulling her outdoors.

It's been a week and a day since the reaping. Every night, I think of Katniss and how she had taken my place in the Hunger Games. I still miss her. But there's nothing I can do about it. I have no power against the Capitol. No one has any power against the Capitol.

The past couple of days, Gale and I have been doing everything to provide for us and Mom. I've offered to help him gather the herbs, showing him their appearances and benefits. In return, he has tried to teach my hunting. It didn't go well. The thought of shooting an animal makes me cringe and run back to the Meadow, where I can't witness anything being harmed in such a brutal way. So I just help check the berries, determining whether or not they are toxic.

Now, as I drag Mom out, I force her on her feet, and say, "Go to Gale's house, He'll show you what to do." Then I run off, fearing I will be late for school.

Suddenly, I feel a tug on my blonde ponytail.

I fall, and my head sends waves of pain as it makes contact with the hard gray concrete. I flip myself over, crawling back from the figure above me.

The man is wearing a ski mask. His clothes a black hoodie and jeans, much unlike our usual raggedy attire in District Twelve. Despite the fact that his face is almost completely covered, I can tell that he is glaring through his mask.

I scramble to my knees, and, grabbing the man's leg, pull myself up. He lets out a loud, high-pitched scream as he is forced onto the ground. Then I run, my dirty blonde locks flowing behind my back.

Not once do I dare to look back. The thought of the man chasing after me, his head reaching for my collar, is unimaginable.

Once I reach the one-story, aged wooden building, I push my hands against the wall to stop myself, and kneel, taking a moment to catch my breath. As I do, I hear a the sound of a gong, and the entrance doors shut, leaving me banging my fists against the doors, screaming for someone to let me enter. Then I hear faint footsteps behind me. As I listen, they get louder, and through the bushes the man leaps out, his breathing heavy as he makes his way to me.

Desperately I raise my hands, knowing I am trapped. The man lets out a shout of victory, and a rush of wind hits me as we both collapse onto the ground. As he keeps me pinned underneath him, he rummages through his bag. When I attempt to take a peek, he swiftly smacks my face, and my head jerks back, not wanting to be hit again. Finally, he pulls out a white needle, filled with a blue liquid. My eyes widen, and I claw at the ground, attempting to get. However, the man keeps me underneath him, and inserts the needle into my soft, fragile skin.

**Rue POV**

"Dammit!"

My eyes squint in fury as I load my slingshot, pulling the sharp rock as far as the rubber on my pathetic stick can sustain. I release, and the small object flies from me, hurtling at the bush in a long arc until it finally hits the squirrel on its back. As it makes contact with the furry, tough skin, it merely bounces off, and the small creature looks at me in confusion. Its black beady eyes lock with my own in a brief staring contest, and I am thinking about strangling it myself when it suddenly darts off, disappearing into the greenery.

_Sixty-four_, I think. _Sixty-four times I've tried to shoot something with this slingshot and no prey. _Letting out a sob, I throw my slingshot on the ground and clench my fists.

Once I calm down, I look around, surveying my surroundings. _Good._ There are no tributes to be seen. _They'll all be either killing each other or hiding. _Bending over, I gather my berries and water bottles and dump them into my bag, before slinging it around my shoulder.

Suddenly, I hear a loud rustle. I turn, and a girl bursts out of the bushes. Her ponytail bounces behind her, and her look is that of a savage bear. She is clad in a leather jacket, and sets of knives rest in her bag and jacket. Chuckling slightly, she reaches into her satchel and pulls one out, brandishing it with her sleeve while chuckling slightly.


	13. Chapter 13 (Note)

**Disclaimer- I do not own The Hunger Games. That belongs to Susanne Collins.**

**Prim POV**

"Where are you taking me?" Through the closely- packed bars of my iron cage, I make out occasional blurs of green. The position in which I am sitting has put me into a state of immense discomfort, and the cold metal pressing against my body strains all movement.

The duct tape wrapped around the lower half of my head distorts my voice, reducing it to an unintelligible, muffled variety of barely-human noises. However, my captor seems to understand what I am asking him. In response, a gruff, disturbed voice snaps back rather rudely. "Shut up, blondie." Taken aback by his reply, I decide to remain silent for the remainder of the trip. As the vehicle continues down- whatever path it's going down, I try to lull myself to sleep. However, I find it impossible to do so, with the cramped position I am in.

The vehicle finally comes to a stop, and my cage is being lifted out. Soon, I see two men waking towards me. One of them pulls out a key, and in moments I am out of my cramped prison. Before the men c an grab, I attempt to make a run for it, willing my legs to go faster than when I was previously chased. In the corner of my eye, I see one of the men press a button, and I stumble, and crash into what feels like a bush. When I get up, my sense of sight is gone. All I can see is an endless void of white. When I feel four hands pulling me, I begin to shriek and writhe. "Hey!" I yell. "Get off me!" They ignore me, and continue dragging me, possibly into a building.

**Rue POV**

"Come ON, little girl!" My pursuer's voice echoes through the forest as I stay crouched behind the branch. "You'll have to come down soon!"

Not daring to peek out of the tree, I stay hidden within the branches and leaves surrounding me. The only voice I hear is the girl from Two, but I doubt she is the only one pursuing me. Careers often hunt in packs, and I dare not take the risk of revealing myself.

Through the leaves, I notice the sky darkening. Perhaps, if I stay silent enough, I can get them to leave soon. Just then, I hear a second voice. "Where _did_ that little brat go? I'm gonna kill her!" I gulp. I immediately recognize the voice as the guy from Two. I think his name is Cato...

"Oh, she's here..." The girl from Two chuckles, and I hear a few footsteps. "We'll just have to bring her out of hiding."

Suddenly, a sharp whistle cuts through the air, and a knife is lodged in the trunk. Instinctively, I reach for the knife and pull it out, but before I can place it in my pocket, the girl releases a second knife, which lands just between my fingers. Startled, I stumble out of my hiding place, and begin tumbling through the branches. Fortunately, I manage to grip one, and I find myself clinging to the branch, dangling before my attackers.

Cato whoops loudly. "Well done, Clove." The two share a high five, and face me, eyeing me hungrily as if I were a roasted duck hanging in a restaurant. Not that I've ever had one.

"Well..." Clove smirks, and reaches into her jacket for another knife. "What do we have here?"

Cato lowers Clove's arm, and reaches for a rock. "Don't kill her yet." He chuckles, and bends over to gather more rocks. Now armed with a handful stones, his eyes darken.

"Let's have a little fun first." Cato smirks, and draws a stone from his pile. With gleaming eyes, he aims for my branch. I close my eyes, waiting for the hit, but I only hear a soft whistle. I open my eyes to find the small rock hurtling past me.

"Go dammit, Cato!" Clove hisses in disgust. "That's not how you throw." She grabs a stone from Cato's pile and kisses it, before raising it. She licks her lips in anticipation, her eyes focused on me. With a yell, she hurls the stone at me with alarming speed. I whimper in fright, and raise my hands to my chest- before tumbling off my branch.

**Author's Note-**

**Happy Pride Month!**

**Do your best to stay safe this year. So many things have gone wrong in just six months, and the best we can do is endure it- and maybe find a way to stop this. If you have relatives who are in the risk factor, make sure they stay safe. Follow all of the guidelines to avoid infection. Even though so much is happening right now, try to take your mind off it. Relax. This will likely be over eventually. If you are infected with it, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you recover. **

**Okay, that's all I really have to say. I'll see you in a few months. (Well, not really, but you know what I mean.)**


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